Police assaulted ‘every 20 minutes’

A police officer is assaulted every 20 minutes, according to new research.

Some 126,860 officers – five out of six – have been subjected to an assault in the last five years, figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show.

The statistics were released by forces in response to requests from Conservative MP Grant Shapps, who said his report depicted the “perilous reality” for frontline officers.

All but one of the 51 constabularies in England, Scotland and Wales contributed to the findings.

They revealed that there were 25,368 assaults on police officers in 2006 – a marginal rise on 2002 when there were 24,559. The report said that this translated to 70 assaults a day or one every 20 minutes.

Jan Berry, chair of the Police Federation, described the results as “shocking”, saying: “Police officers are struggling to effectively and safely deliver a 24/7 emergency response to the public in the face of growing violence, increased assaults and dwindling numbers.

“A number of forces are failing to provide the minimum officer safety refresher training, further evidence our health and safety is not being taken seriously.”

Mr Shapps said: “The number of attacks on our police officers in the last five years reveals the hidden yet perilous reality of life on the front line. The truth is that yet another Government target, safety initiative or programme will do little to protect our frontline police.

“It is only by rebuilding a sense of social responsibility that we can hope to tackle this truly deep-rooted problem. Preventing our officers from being assaulted requires a change in attitude towards our police.

“This is a process which starts at home and that means that backing the family and encouraging individuals to take responsibility for their actions must be at the heart of the Government’s response.”